


The Bucket List

by bokuakabeam



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bucket List, Drinking, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25775539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bokuakabeam/pseuds/bokuakabeam
Summary: 5 times that Akaashi helped with Bokuto's bucket list, and the 1 time he didn't.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 11
Kudos: 57





	The Bucket List

Keiji had been lucky enough to find himself amidst a friend group only a week into his freshman year of college. He’d been wandering the campus on that lonely Friday night, letting the intensity of his classes sink into his mind, when he’d heard it. A lone sound, almost like a wail if it had had any connotation of sadness. No, this sound was one of happiness, joy, unbridled exhilaration. Like someone had just lift a car above their heads with their bare hands, and just had to let out a shout of exuberance. What Keiji hadn’t expected, however, was to be nearly trampled by the owner of that sound.

“Oof!” Keiji let out a sound as the breath was knocked out of his lungs, landing gracefully on the cold concrete of the sidewalk.

“Oh, shit, dude! You alright?” Keiji kept his eyes shut momentarily, trying not to calm himself so as to not make a retort about what a dude-bro response that was.

“Yeah, ‘m alright,” he answered finally, opening his eyes to the shiniest pair of eyes he’d ever seen. Not only were they a beautiful shade of gold, but they were open so wide and full of sincerity that Keiji couldn’t help but to gape.

“You sure? You’re staring a lot, and m’not a health major or anything, but maybe that’s a sign of a concussion?” The man rubbed the back of his neck as he offered his other for Keiji to take, helping him into a standing position. “Oh! My roommate is a health major, I’ll get him to take a look at you! C’mon!”

Keiji didn’t even have time to decline before he was being dragged across campus, thick fingers clamped gently around his wrist. The man in front of him had dyed hair — almost like he had attempted frosted tips but failed — and the salt-and-pepper locks hung limply in his face, water droplets hanging from the tips. It was only at this moment that Keiji finally realized that this man was drenched from head to toe, the scant clothes he was wearing sticking to every part of his skin.

“Why the fuck are you drenched?” Keiji’s voice finally returned to him as he was pulled into a dorm building, the man waving to the front desk attendant before answering.

“Oh! I took a swim in the fountain.”

“Th-The— The fountain by the library?” Keiji clarified, almost convinced he’d misheard.

“Yep!” He hadn’t misheard.

“Why the fuck would you do that?”

“Why the fuck _wouldn’t_ I do that?” The man retorted, shooting a wide grin towards Keiji as they made their way down the long hall of doors before stopping in front of one.

“Tetsu! Dude! I left my key in the room, open up!” They only had to wait a split second before another guy, _Tetsu_ , swung the door open with a smirk.

“That was quick, how was your swan dive? Oh,” Tetsu’s smile faltered only slightly as he appraised the stranger next to his roommate. “Who’s this?”

“This is— Oh, shit, I didn’t get your name,” the soaked man turned towards Keiji, prompting him with his eyes.

“Uh, Keiji. Keiji Akaashi.”

“Well Keiji Akaashi, what can I do for you on this lovely evening?” Tetsu leaned against the doorframe, his smirk returning full-force and his gaze scrutinizing.

“I wanted you to check him out,” Tetsu’s roommate continued, pushing past his friend to drag Keiji into their room.

“Oh, I am.”

“No! Dude! Think without your dick involved for a minute.”

“Ugh, fine. What’s the problem?” Tetsu seemed to take a whole new persona at his friend’s request, pulling his computer chair over and gesturing for Keiji to sit. Once he did, Tetsu followed suit, grabbing the computer chair from the other desk.

“I bumped into him, and he fell, and he kept staring so I thought he might have a concussion.”

“Kou, did he even hit his head?” Tetsu asked him as he rolled his eyes. He directed his next question at Keiji. “Did you hit your head?”

“No, I fell on my ass,” Keiji answered honestly, looking away from Tetsu’s gaze.

“Oh,” Kou hummed, scrubbing at his chin. “Then why were you staring at me for so long?”

“Maybe because it looks like you washed up alongside DiCaprio at the beginning of Inception,” Tetsu suggested, gesturing towards Kou’s appearance.

“Oh, shit, you’re right. Aw man, Keiji, I’m sorry! I just was worried, and you seemed out of it, and I just jumped to conclusions.”

“You’re doing a lot of jumping tonight, aren’t you?” Keiji huffed, but gave the pouting man a small smile. “It’s alright, I appreciate your concern.”

Kou seemed to brighten up at that. “Oh! I’m Koutarou Bokuto! And that’s my roommate and best friend, Tetsurou Kuroo! Nice to meet you! Sorry I didn’t introduce myself before. Man, you must’ve been scared shitless! Some wet dude dragging you across campus and into his dorm room late at night?”

Tetsurou snorted. “Sounds like my kind of wet dream.”

Keiji blushed but couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. “So, Tetsurou, I take it you’re a health major?”

“Ah, yeah. Pre-med. What about you?”

“Accounting.”

“That sounds boring,” Koutarou spoke up from his side of the room where he’d taken to drying himself off with a towel he’d found.

  
“Kou!” Tetsurou berated, but Keiji waved him off.

“It is quite boring,” Keiji admitted with a shrug. “It was just something I was expected to do, I guess. I was always good at math, so my family pushed for it.”

“You should do what _you_ wanna do, Keiji!” Koutarou declared, as if it was the solution to all of Keiji’s problems.

“I’m sure there’s more to it than that, Kou,” Tetsurou tried to shoot his friend a glare, and Keiji just chuckled. Tetsurou seemed to be able to read social cues whereas his friend was the exact opposite. Unless, he had the ability to read the social cues, but just decided to speak his mind anyway.

Keiji couldn’t figure out which of the two options was correct, so he just switched the perspective. “What are you majoring in, Koutarou?”

Koutarou grinned, stripping himself of his wet shirt and shaking his hair like he was a dog. “Public relations.” And Keiji had to admit, it seemed to fit Koutarou’s personality well.

“Oh!” Koutarou pulled the conversation to himself once again, his excitement barely being contained with his large eyes and wide smile. “Tetsu and I have a group that meets every day for lunch or dinner, whatever we have time for. You should join us! I’d love for you to meet everyone!”

Normally, Keiji would decline — a large group of people he didn’t know just wasn’t his scene. However, Koutarou’s bright expression was enough for him to nod his head with a smile of his own. “Sure, Koutarou, that sounds great.”

It wasn’t until the next afternoon, when Keiji was meeting Koutarou’s ragtag group of friends, that he learned that the swan dive into the fountain was just _one_ of the adventures that Koutarou planned on having during his time at university.

“It was something on my bucket list!” Koutarou verified, proudly showing Keiji the crumpled piece of looseleaf paper that he’d written his list on. There was over twenty items, all varying in ridiculousness, and Keiji couldn’t help but laugh. He’d only known Koutarou for less than a day, and it already just seemed like such a _Koutarou_ thing to have.

“Yep, and we’re all helping him through it, whether we like it or not,” Tetsurou groaned, but Keiji could tell he was just teasing his friend.

It was also during that lunch that Keiji was introduced to the rest of the friends he’d grow close to over the course of the next few years — Satori, Yuuji, Kenma, Hajime, and Koushi. Koutarou and Tetsurou seemed to be the de facto leaders of the group, although each of the other members had distinct personalities of their own. With every passing minute, Keiji felt more and more at ease amongst the friends, and that was only partially due to the fact that Koutarou kept his arm around his shoulders.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

**#03: Steal food from the university cafeteria in the middle of the night**

He hadn’t heard from Koutarou in nearly a week, and Keiji had thrown himself into his schoolwork. College courses were a lot more intensive than he’d originally anticipated, so it wasn’t hard for him to get lost in his studies. But always, in the back of his mind, he was hoping that Koutarou would use the phone number he’d given him. Even just for a quick text hello. So when a week passed with nothing, Keiji found himself overworked and bitter by the time the weekend rolled around. His eyes were trained on the textbook in front of him, his muscles straining from staying in one position for too long, when his phone rang, disrupting the silence of the library.

“Hello?” He murmured, trying to keep quiet so as not to disturb the students studying around him. He had to pull the phone away from his ear before his eardrum exploded.

  
“Keiji! How are you doing!” Unmistakably Koutarou’s voice sounded through his cellphone, and although Keiji had been sour over the lack of communication, he couldn’t help but smile hearing his voice.

“I’m fine, Koutarou. How are you doing?”

“Where are you right now?” Koutarou breezed past the question.

“Uh… I’m at the library. Why?”

“Meet me outside in three minutes. No, two and a half minutes!” Koutarou declared, before effectively hanging up. Keiji just stared at his phone for a moment, at a loss. Then, quicker than he’d like to admit, he gathered his notes and textbooks, tossing them carelessly into his bag, before darting out of the building.

“Keiji!” Koutarou was bounding up the sidewalk, and even in the dim light from the moon, Keiji could tell he was once again breathtakingly beautiful.

“Koutarou,” he greeted with a small smile once the man was closer. Koutarou was panting, little puffs of air visibly leaving his lips with every breath. “Did you run here?”

  
“Yep! I wanted to try and beat my record.”

“So… What’s up?” Keiji fiddled with the straps of his backpack, glancing anywhere but at Koutarou’s face.

“Oh! Number three on the list happens tonight!” Koutarou grinned widely, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “And… I wanted to see you again.”

Keiji felt his face heat up and he braved a glance at the older man’s face. His eyes were trained on Keiji, as if trying not to miss his reaction, and Keiji had to glance away again.

“What’s number three?”

Koutarou filled Keiji in on what they were going to do as they walked back towards the main campus. The library was set up on the outer edge of the rest of the buildings, so it took them a few minutes to make it back towards the center. Koutarou’s third item on his bucket list was to steal food from the school cafeteria after hours, much to Keiji’s chagrin.

“Really?” Keiji had asked when Koutarou had first told him. “Isn’t that, I dunno, illegal?”

Koutarou shrugged. “I plan on leaving money at the front desk, and we’re not gonna take much. So I mean it’s not really _stealing_ so much as paying for the food when nobody’s there.”

“And how are we going to get into the cafeteria? It’s locked by this time.”

“Ah, that’s where Satori comes in!”

They rounded the corner, and Keiji saw a large group of people bouncing and standing around the entrance of the cafeteria. He recognized Tetsurou, Yuuji, and Satori, but not the rest of the crowd.

“Did you really gather your whole dorm for a food heist at midnight?” Keiji peered at Koutarou.

“Pfft, no! We couldn’t convince Kenma and Hajime to come,” Koutarou rubbed the back of his neck. “Kenma said this was childish, and I think Hajime had a date.”

“I think Kenma’s right,” Keiji admitted, but when Koutarou’s smile faltered he was quick to add, “…but it sounds like fun.” Ah, the smile returns.

“Guys! This is Keiji! Keiji, you know Tetsurou, Yuuji, and Satori. Well this is Satori’s boyfriend, Wakatoshi, and Koushi’s boyfriend, Daichi.” Keiji gave everyone a small wave, still gripping the straps of his backpack anxiously.

“So, Koutarou said that Satori could get us into the cafeteria?” Keiji prompted, and the redhead immediately jumped into action.

“Yes! I have the key!” Satori dug it from his pocket and held it up like it was the key to the universe.

“How did you get a key to the dining hall?” Wakatoshi asked, his face inexpressive as if he already knew the answer.

“I flirted with the lady at the front desk,” Satori shrugged, earning a grumble from his boyfriend. He just pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before bounding towards the front door and unlocking it. “Don’t worry, ‘Toshi. You know I only have eyes for you~”

“C’mon!” Koutarou pulled Keiji to the front of the group alongside him, and they quietly made their way into the cafeteria. The entire building was dark and smelled strongly of cleaning products. It was eerie to see it so empty; usually it was packed full of students and professors looking to get a meal or a quick coffee between classes. The cereal bar and chip racks were completely restocked, and vending machines that held the drinks were the same. It wasn’t until they began collecting some food that Keiji realized that he and Koutarou were still holding hands. His long, slender fingers were intertwined with Koutarou’s shorter, thicker fingers, and it felt as if they’d been holding hands their whole lives.   
  
“Koutarou,” Keiji murmured, but when that intense gaze met his own, he lost his courage. “Wh-What did you want to get?”

Koutarou seemed to contemplate this for a moment before smiling softly. “I really just wanted to get some Reese’s Puffs. They’re always out by the time I get up for breakfast.”

“Well let’s get you some Reese’s Puffs, hm?” Keiji tugged gently on his hand, and he could tell by the look in Koutarou’s eyes that he was only now realizing they were holding hands as well. When neither man made a move to pull away, they just walked over to the cereal bar and collected an array of cereals into a to-go container.

“Thank you, Keiji,” Koutarou spoke softly, more quiet that Keiji had ever heard him speak. If he hadn’t had been as close as he was, he wouldn’t have heard him over the laughter of the other men around them.

“For what?”

“For coming with me, and for being so nice to me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?” Keiji furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Koutarou, confused. He couldn’t imagine anyone being anything but nice to the ever-smiling man.

“I dunno. I felt bad about not calling you all week. I really wanted to! But Tetsurou made it sound like I had to wait because if I called you too soon, it’d be like I was— I dunno what he called it, but I was supposed to play hard-to-get, I guess? Which is dumb because how much harder could I be to get? You didn’t have my number, it was late when you came to the dorm so it’s not like you would have remembered where I lived—“

“Koutarou,” Keiji interrupted the man, and Koutarou snapped his mouth shut. “I wish you had called me. I thought about you a lot. However, I’m glad you called me tonight, and I’m glad I got to help you with your bucket list.”

Koutarou smiled so wide that his eyes shut, and he swept Keiji up into a warm hug. Keiji was surprised so it took him a brief moment, but he was quickly hugging him back, burying his face in the man’s neck. He’d never felt happier than he was in Koutarou’s arms, and he quite honestly didn’t know what to make of that.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

**#06: Road Trip!!!**

Weeks passed since the cafeteria adventure, and Keiji was more than happy to officially be a part of Koutarou’s friend group. He met up with them at least once a day, if not more, and he grew closer with each member.

Satori — who, at first, had seemed like kind of a loose cannon — was actually extremely kind and funny. He always made sure to have a blueberry muffin, Keiji’s favorite, and he always asked questions about Keiji’s classes. It had been a surprise to him that Satori was a business major, so a lot of the math classes he took coincided with Keiji’s, so they had no limit of discussion topics. The anomaly that was Satori’s relationship was something that Keiji couldn’t quite place. Koutarou had just told him that Satori and Wakatoshi were best friends in high school, but Keiji couldn’t figure out how they got along. Wakatoshi just seemed so level-headed and composed compared to Satori’s irrational nature, but somehow they made it work.

Koushi had seemed the more normal out of the group, enough that Keiji sometimes wondered why he hung around with such chaotic people, but that thought was quickly diminished. Koushi was arguably one of the more chaotic in the group, even more-so than Tetsurou at times, and never failed to provide a crazy story of one of their escapades during their freshman year. Daichi, Koushi’s boyfriend, seemed more dialed-back, but was unfailingly faithful and loyal to the group of friends.

Yuuji, on the other hand, was harder for Keiji to figure out. He was more on the reckless side at times, always sporting a new piercing or tattoo, or sometimes even bruises or cuts from a fight he’d gotten into. However — and Koutarou had to convince Keiji of this — Yuuji was actually unusually gentle behind closed doors. He’d tried to keep up the edgier image he’d made for himself in high school his freshman year of university, but (obviously) failed miserably.

Kenma was who Keiji gravitated towards more often than not, aside from Koutarou of course. He was quiet and soft-spoken, much like Keiji, and he was the voice of reason when it came to some of the activities the groups decided on. He and Keiji had even started a running commentary about their friend group, often whispering teasing remarks to one another to try and get each other to laugh. It also helped that he and Keiji were in the same year, along with Yuuji.

Tetsurou, who Keiji had been wary of since their first meeting, was actually incredibly easy to talk to. He was smart, that much Keiji knew just based on his ability to read people so easily. But he was able to keep up with a conversation and add in insight of his own, and he could even help Keiji with some of his studies even though he’d never taken the advanced math classes that Keiji was in.

Koutarou was a completely different story. He and Keiji texted every day just about random things, asking how one another’s classes went, things of that nature. It had slowly become one of the things Keiji looked forward to everyday. Koutarou always made Keiji feel included, and invited him to everything that they did, even if it was just going to study at the coffee shop. Then there was the touching. Keiji had noticed that Koutarou was a touchy person, and it seemed like that’s just who he was. He would pat his friends on the back or muss their hair, and their friends would just go along with it like they were used to it. However, it seemed when it came to Keiji, it was different. At first, Koutarou seemed nervous even when their skin accidentally brushed if they sat too close in a booth or bumped into each other on the sidewalk. However, now, Koutarou went out of his way to touch Keiji; on the arm, holding his hand, leaning his head on the younger man’s shoulder.

  
And Keiji really liked it. He couldn’t lie to himself anymore about the feelings that were developing for Koutarou, and he no longer wanted to hide them. He enjoyed the man’s company, and he could no longer blame the blush that rushed to his face every time Koutarou sent him a smile on the weather.

It was nearing winter break now, and Keiji had come to the easy decision of not going home for the holidays. His parents were the ones that had forced him into his major and hadn’t allowed him to explore any clubs or extracurriculars in high school, so his relationship with them was subpar at best. So it was obvious to Keiji that spending the break alone in his dorm room was much more desirable than spending any extended amount of time with his parents. It wasn’t until the first official morning of break, the sun barely cresting the sky on that early Monday morning, that Keiji learned he would not be spending that break alone.

“Keiji! Open up!” A voice sang through his door, knocking to the tune of a song that Keiji couldn’t place. He was ripped from a dreamless sleep, and he couldn’t help but grumble into his pillow at the rude awakening. “Keiji, I can hear you in there. Let me in! You can sleep when you’re dead!”

“I’d rather be dead than awake right now!” Keiji shouted, his voice muffled by his pillow, but based on the laugh from outside Koutarou definitely heard him.

“C’mon Keiji, we’re leaving in, like, five minutes!” That woke him up.

“Where are you going?” Keiji asked, swinging the door open for Koutarou. It wasn’t until the man began appraising Keiji’s appearance that he remembered he was only wearing boxer shorts to bed. “My eyes are up here, Koutarou.”

“Right!” The golden eyes snapped up to meet his, and Keiji blushed. He’d caught Koutarou checking him out. “It’s number six on my list! ‘Road trip with friends’, and I want you to come with us! Satori has his dad’s old van, so there’s plenty of room, and I think you’ll have more fun than wallowing here in your underwear.”

“I wasn’t _wallowing_ , I was sleeping!”

“Ah, technicalities,” Koutarou waved him off, pushing past Keiji and into his room before he began digging in his closet.   
  
“What are you doing?” Keiji watched incredulously as Koutarou rifled through his belongings before moving on and doing the same to his dresser.

“I’m packing for you! You just get dressed, I’ll handle the rest!”

“Koutarou, you’ve only collected shirts and underwear,” Keiji eyed the clothes in Koutarou’s grasp.

“That could’ve been intentional,” Koutarou grumbled, but began grabbing other clothes and matching outfits together.

“How long are we going to be gone?” Keiji asked, pulling on a sweater and tugging on some jeans. “And you still haven’t said where we’re going.”

“We’re gonna go visit my my and Tetsu’s family!” Keiji’s eyes widened, and Koutarou was quick to notice his slowed movements. “What? Do you not wanna come?”

“Oh, it’s just… You want me to meet your family?” Keiji peered at Koutarou between his lashes, a blush creeping up his neck and ears.

“Oh,” Koutarou cleared his throat, anxiously fiddling with the clothes he’d gathered. “I mean… Yeah, Keiji. I’d want you to meet my family. If you’re okay with that, that is. I mean, you don’t have to, and you don’t even have to come with us if you don’t want! I just came in here and started taking over, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to just assume—“

“Koutarou, if you’d like me to come, I will. I’d actually love to. And I’d love to meet your family if it means that much to you.”

“Really? You mean it?” And it was at that point that Keiji realized he would do anything in the world if it meant getting Koutarou to smile like that.

“Yes, really. I really, er… I really like you, Koutarou.”

“I really _really_ like you too, Keiji.”

The road trip itself was a flurry of activity. Satori’s van was cramped, but Keiji had never felt more at home stuffed between Koutarou and Tetsurou, listening to whatever music everyone agreed on. To his surprise, Kenma had accompanied them, fitting very nicely in the small seat between Satori and Wakatoshi up front. They spent the ride there with Keiji being the mediator in whatever childish arguments Koutarou and Tetsurou got themselves into — and although he would never admit it, he always sided with Koutarou just because of that dazzling smile.

According to Koutarou, his parents had already met all his friends the previous year, when they’d come to the university to visit one long weekend. That fact did nothing to assuage Keiji’s nerves in his desperate attempt to make a good impression. However, it seemed all his nerves were for naught, because Keiji was instantly welcomed as part of the family (and even one of Koutarou’s sisters admitted that they could tell Keiji was her brother’s type, much to the embarrassment of said brother). Keiji was honestly quite out of his element; his parents never would have been so warm and welcoming towards strangers, especially if the strangers were as loud and rambunctious as Koutarou, Tetsurou, and Satori. 

But that didn’t matter to the Bokuto family, they were just as loud. And once again Keiji found himself surrounded by people that he should have felt out-of-place with, when in actuality he felt relaxed and cared for. It was on their last night there that Keiji and Koutarou finally had a moment alone, with the family out for a late dinner, and the rest of their friends exploring the town.

“Are you alright, Keiji? You seem kind of… Sad,” Koutarou mentioned, plopping down in the grass next to the younger man. He then followed Keiji’s gaze until they were both looking at the stars up above.

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry, Kou, I didn’t mean to come across as unappreciative or anything… I’ve really enjoyed my time here, being with you and your family…” Keiji tugged on his fingers anxiously, mumbling just barely above a whisper.

“I’ve really loved having you here, Keiji. It’s like you belong here, y’know?” Keiji sniffled, and Koutarou snapped his head towards him in time to notice a large tear dripping off his cheek. “Keiji? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you—“

“You didn’t upset me, Kou,” Keiji chuckled sadly, rubbing at his eyes. “I’m sorry. I really don’t have a reason to be upset, I just… You all have made me feel so welcome and loved and… I dunno, it’s just weird for me, I guess. My parents are so cold and aloof, and they just push me to be somebody that they can be proud of, regardless of what I really want. I’m just babbling—“

“What do you want, Keiji?”

“Huh?”

“What _do_ you want? What do you really want?”

And Keiji thought. “I guess I really want to be a writer.”

“Then be a writer.”

“You make it sound so simple,” Keiji tilted his head to peek over at Koutarou, who’s eyes had never left Keiji’s profile.

“It’s not simple, but it’s something you’re gonna do. It’ll be hard, but you have all of us here to help you! And, you know… I’m here for you too.”

Keiji turned fully until their eyes met, and he once again saw the unfaltering sincerity in those golden eyes. “Why?”

“What?” Koutarou furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

“Why? You just met me a couple months ago.” Keiji saw something flash in Koutarou’s eyes.

“Well… I told you I really really like you.” Koutarou moved closer, until their bodies were flush against each other’s sides.

“I really really like you too, Koutarou.” Electricity sparked where their skin brushed.

“Keiji?” A hand rested gently over his own.

“Hm?” He could feel a breath on his cheek.

“Can I kiss you?” Their eyes met, faces inching closer with every intake of breath.

“Please.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

**#11: Play DRUNO (drunk UNO)**

It was more of a celebration, really, instead of another bucket list adventure. But it still counted, Koutarou insisted upon it. The end of the year came a lot quicker than they all had anticipated, and Keiji was both happy and sad for its approach. Happy because that meant he’d get a short break from the exhaustive courses he’d had this past year. After a long discussion with Koutarou about Keiji’s desires, he’d gone to his counselor’s office and officially switched majors. He knew it would be a long, arduous road, and that he’d have to take extra classes on top of an already-hectic schedule in order to graduate on time with the rest of his class, but he was finding himself excited for the work. He was sad for a myriad of reasons, the main one being the fact he’d be apart from Koutarou for three months.

“Don’t worry, Keiji! I’ll text you all the time, and I’ll call you every night!” Koutarou had assured him, and that made Keiji feel a little better.

So, with their departure steadily approaching, Koutarou insisted the friend group get together for a last hurrah, and cross off number eleven on his list: Playing DRUNO (Drunk UNO).

“There s’no way you have UNO right now, bro!” Tetsu shouted, pounding his fist on the table, voice slightly slurred. The night had begun hardly an hour ago, and a good majority of them were already on the drunk side of tipsy. “S’no way!”

“S’way!” Koutarou laughed, using one hand to wave his singular card into Tetsurou’s face. His free hand had not left Keiji’s thigh since the night began. Normally Keiji was anxious about public displays of affection, but with several drinks in his system, Keiji was feeling warm and content, Koutarou’s hand a nice way to ground him before he floated away.

“You know this, Tetsu, Kou’s always _reeeaaal_ good at games,” Yuuji hummed, a flush high on his cheeks. “Plus his good luck charm’s here.”

Keiji kept his eyes closed as he grinned, resting his cheek on Koutarou’s shoulder. “M’lucky,” he mumbled, exhaustion sweeping over him quicker than he’d thought. Koutarou’s hand left his thigh, and Keiji whined, until he felt the arm wrap around his waist protectively.

“You two are sickeningly sweet,” Tetsurou grumbled with a huff, playing his turn. “When am I gonna find me a little fella?”

“Ew, Tetsu, don’t say that, you sound creepy,” Kenma spoke up from his spot on the couch, causing Hajime to laugh.

“Oh, I wanna bring my boyfriend around next time we’re all together,” Hajime said next, and even Keiji in his inebriated state could hear the bashfulness in his voice.

“Oho?” Koushi grinned, playing his turn. “And who’s the lucky guy?”

“Tooru? I dunno if you’ve met him before.” Hajime fiddled with his fingers, a nervous tick that he seemed to have picked up from Keiji. 

“The pretty guy in my anatomy class?” Tetsurou asked, rolling his eyes. “He seems too high maintenance for you, Haji. He’s…” Kuroo waved his hand in the air, searching for the right word. “… melodramatic.”

“Yeah, he’s a dumbass,” he sighed, and once again, nobody missed the affection that was clearly laced within it.

“Hey Ken?” Yuuji called from the table, leaning his head back over his chair to peer at the blond. “Isn’t Tooru the guy from our Stat class last year? The one you used to make fun of?”

Kenma snorted and Hajime frowned. “Why?”

“It wasn’t anything bad. I just called him flouncy.”

“Flouncy?”

Kenma nodded, his cheeks tinted pink from the alcohol and a small, self-serving grin on his face. “He used to, like, _bounce_ when he walked. I think he thought it made it seem like he had an ass, when it just accentuated that he was as flat as a pancake.”

“ _Kenma_ —“

“I’ll be nice to him when we meet him!” Kenma groaned, cutting off the lecture before it could even begin.

“Guys, I think I love Keiji. How do I tell him?” Koutarou blurted out, and everyone including Keiji looked at him with wide eyes. “What? Don’t try and convince me I’m wrong. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit in my life but I think being with Keiji was the smartest thing I could have ever done.”

“Kou…” Daichi spoke up, scratching his head.

Koutarou looked between his friends, his gaze finally falling on Keiji. “Keiji! Hey! I wanted to tell you, I think I love you! No, wait… I _know_ that I love you! I just, I think about you all the time, and I miss you when you’re gone, and—“

“Koutarou, for fucks sake,” Tetsurou grumbled, but Keiji shushed him.

“A-And I just… I’m so proud of you for switching majors. I know that was a hard decision, and I support you one hundred percent! You’re gonna be such an amazing writer because you’re already an amazing person, and I’m so lucky to be your boyfriend! I love you!”

“I love you too, Koutarou,” Keiji murmured, already pressing his lips to the older man’s. He gripped the collar of Koutarou’s shirt as he left his chair, straddling him and deepening the kiss.

“That’s our cue to leave,” Koushi began quickly ushering everyone out of the kitchen, waving them off as they tried to argue.

He could feel the embarrassment tomorrow. Nothing mattered to Keiji more in that moment than showing Koutarou how he really felt about the man. How incredibly happy he was to be in his arms, how lucky he was to be able to call Koutarou his, and how in love he was. His first year of university had been a journey, he’d finally discovered who he was, and he didn’t spend all his time stuffed in his dorm or in the library. And all of it was thanks to Koutarou.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

**#14: Get free drinks at the bar by flirting**

“Now, are you sure you’re okay with this?” Koutarou asked for the thousandth time, and Keiji just laughed again.

“ _Yes_ , it’s on your list! And I know you love me, so there’s really no problem.”

Keiji’s second year of university — and Koutarou’s third year — was a whirlwind of activity. Keiji had to practically start from the beginning since he’d decided to switch majors, but with an additional workload, he was determined to finish on time. Koutarou was no stranger to the amount of work required of a Literature major, so he made sure that Keiji kept up with his work — but that didn’t stop him from making sure that Keiji also took care of himself and had fun on the weekends. Which is what they were doing this weekend, and coincidentally crossing off number fourteen on Koutarou’s list: get free drinks at a bar by flirting.

“The question is: are you sure you can flirt your way to a free cocktail?” Tooru leaned over the table to speak to Koutarou, and Keiji had to hide a laugh behind his hand.

They’d met Tooru towards the beginning of the year, Hajime proudly bringing him to one of their lunches, and he and Keiji hit it off instantly. The only problem was that Tooru was a relentless tease, and who better to tease than Koutarou?

Koutarou sputtered with a glare before he was able to answer. “Of course I can! I’m hot, right Keiji?”

“Oh, yeah. Smokin’!” Keiji giggled. Tetsurou made an offhanded comment about sounding like the guy from The Mask, and Hajime snorted. Koutarou just huffed, straightening his shirt and fixing his hair, and making his way up to the bar.

“You’re a good sport,” Tooru commented, sliding in and resting his arm on Keiji’s shoulders.

“Ah, it’s just for fun. I’m not expecting him to get anywhere. He’s too in love with me to shamelessly flirt with anyone else,” Keiji shrugged, sipping at his drink. It was something fruity that Tooru had suggested, but it had a sting of alcohol as it slid down Keiji’s throat.

“You’re kinda full of yourself, aren’t you?” Tooru teased, earning another smile from Keiji.

  
“Nah, I just know Koutarou.” They both turned to see Koutarou stumbling over his words to a man at the bar, a blush high on the back of his neck and ears. Keiji chuckled and Tooru just shook his head.

“Should we show him how it’s done?” Tooru murmured against Keiji’s ear, and Keiji nodded with a smirk.

They spent the rest of the night brazenly conversing with patrons all over the establishment much to the disappointment of Koutarou. However, every drink that Keiji received would instantly go into the older man’s hands, so his frown was never deep enough to stay. Once Keiji had successfully earned himself five drinks, he and Koutarou returned to the table with the rest of their friends, and they teased Hajime for being jealous as Tooru continued.

“It’s just for fun, Haji~” Keiji giggled, his entire body warm as he snuggled close to Koutarou. “Plus, you don’t have to pay for his drinks, at this rate!”

Hajime grumbled something incoherent, crossing his arms. Tetsurou, Kenma, and Yuuji, who had been saving their spots at the table, were now nowhere to be seen, and Keiji took that chance to start placing warm kisses along Koutarou’s jaw. Hajime grumbled something about Tooru touching another man’s knee before sliding out of the booth, leaving Keiji to his own devious devices.

“I love you, Koutarou,” he murmured against the man’s skin, smirking as goosebumps rose where his breath ghosted. Koutarou’s arms loosened from their place across his own chest, and his hands slid down Keiji’s body until his hands rested on his hips.

“I love you too, Keiji, even though you flirted with, like, a hundred guys.” He could feel the envy radiating from Koutarou’s skin, so he peppered fleeting kisses along the man’s jaw.

“Koutarou,” Keiji purred, and he knew he had already won before he spoke when Koutarou’s hands tightened on his hips. “You know I love you, right? Nobody even compares to how you make me feel.”

“Really?” He could hear Koutarou trying to maintain his pout.

  
“Yes, really. Even when we first met, I knew that you were special. You always just made me feel warm and safe, and nobody has ever made me feel that way before. I love you _so_ much, and I’ll never look at anybody else the same way I look at you.”

“You better not,” he grumbled, and Keiji chuckled as he nibbled Koutarou’s ear.

“I miss you so much all the time, Koutarou. Spending time away from you makes me feel so incomplete, like I’m missing a part of my heart,” Keiji continued. Seems like being drunk makes him more openly honest and affectionate than normal.

“Then move in with me, Keiji. Please?” Koutarou whimpered at a harsher nibble against his skin, and Keiji quickly pulled away, eyes wide.

“What?”  
  
“I mean it, Keiji. Over winter break, please move in with me? I want to be with you all the time, and I have my own apartment now, and I just love you so much—“

Once again, Keiji interrupted Koutarou, only this time by pressing his lips to the other’s in a fervent kiss. His murmured ‘yes’ was the only thing he said before he lost himself in the miracle that was Koutarou.

**─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───**

**#17: Start a club**

The bucket list got swept under the rug for a good portion of a year, especially after the move. Koutarou and Keiji were still in their honeymoon phase — all their friends teased that they were already the old, married couple of the group — and they spent any free time outside of classes with each other. That sense of support and stability was just what Keiji needed, especially when things slowly fell apart in his relationship with his parents.

They were not happy whatsoever in Keiji’s decision to switch majors, and went so far as to tell him to move back home under threat of cutting him off. But with Koutarou and the rest of his friends backing him up, Keiji told his parents off for never having his best interest at heart, and cut ties with them. It took a lot of long nights and deep conversations with Koutarou until Keiji felt more at ease with the direction his life was going. Luckily, his grades were well enough that scholarships paid for most of his expenses, and the rest could be taken care of with a part-time job.

It was during the spring of Koutarou’s last year at university when the bucket list came back into play.

“C’mon babe, please tell me you’re off this Saturday?” Koutarou whined, flopping into bed alongside Keiji.

“Hm, I think so. Why?”

Koutarou whipped out the piece of paper and handed it to his boyfriend. “Number seventeen: Start a club.”

“A club?” Keiji peered at Koutarou over the top of his reading glasses before sliding them to rest on the top of his head. “You’re graduating in a couple months. Don’t you think it’s kind of late for that?”

“No! Tooru and I had this great idea! Besides, Tetsu’s boyfriend and his friends are gonna keep it running while I’m gone. And I was kinda hoping you’d take my place as president once I leave, for your final year.” Koutarou threw in that last part under his breath, but Keiji’s attention zeroed in on it.

“Me? I don’t even know what kind of club it is!” Keiji was already shaking his head. “Plus, I have enough on my plate with six classes and work. I dunno, Koutarou...”

“Please, Keiji? It won’t take up hardly any time, honest!”

“Well,” Keiji hummed, scratching his chin. “I’ll just see how I feel about it this Saturday then.”

Koutarou wiggled his eyebrows and bounced on the mattress, pressing kisses all over Keiji’s face. “You won’t regret this, Mr. President!”

And Keiji didn’t regret it, especially not after seeing the club in action that Saturday. Even though Koutarou had said it was a collective idea, the ‘UFO Spotting Club’ was clearly Tooru’s pride and joy, seeing as the man wore a smile brighter than the sun when he saw the turnout that evening. He introduced himself and Koutarou as the cofounders, and even pulled Keiji towards the front of the group to introduce him as the president once they graduated in a few weeks.

Koutarou insisted on interacting with everyone that showed up, and Tooru flitted between groups making sure that everyone was doing okay. The goal of the club was to, you guessed it, spot UFO’s. But in actuality, it seemed that everyone was just enjoying their time mingling on the grass and stargazing with their friends and significant others. It was during this first official meeting that Keiji grew closer with the newest members of their friend group, and boyfriends to Tetsurou, Kenma, and Yuuji: Kei, Shouyou, and Tadashi, respectively.

“Whose idea was this, anyway?” Kei spoke up from his spot on the grass, tucked underneath Tetsurou’s arm.

“Mine and Tooru’s!” Koutarou shouted from somewhere amidst the crowd, and Keiji smiled to himself.

“I think it’s more of Tooru’s, honestly,” Hajime admitted, watching with a fond look as Tooru animatedly talked to a few people a little ways away. “He’s really into astronomy and shit.”  
  
“Like the guy on the discovery channel always talking about aliens?” Shouyou spoke up, humming contentedly with his head in Kenma’s lap as the older boy stroked his hair.

“Pfft,” Tadashi snorted, blushing as Yuuji kissed the base of his jaw. “Yuuji, stop that…”

“What? Your laugh’s cute,” Yuuji murmured, and Keiji suddenly felt like he was intruding on a private moment.

He let his gaze flicker over all his friends. Yuuji and Tadashi nuzzling one another, Kenma and Shouyou gazing like they were the only two people on the planet, Tetsurou whispering sweet nothings into Kei’s ear. Daichi and Koushi had already whisked away, mumbling promises of what was to come when they got home. Wakatoshi and Satori had been glued together since the night began, and now Wakatoshi was holding the redhead in his arms and pointing out different constellations. Tooru had finally settled aside Hajime, and Keiji had never seen anyone look more in love than when those two looked at each other.

That is, until he glanced up and saw Koutarou looking at him the same way.

“Hey, Keiji,” Koutarou whispered, as if anything louder would disrupt the beautiful night. He plopped down behind Keiji and pulled the younger man into his arms, with his chest propping him up. “Hey, do you realize where we are?”

Keiji glanced around them, noting the empty sidewalk and dark buildings. “Um... No?”

“This is where we met.”

It dawned on him and Keiji hummed appreciatively, smiling and placing a gentle kiss to Koutarou’s neck. “Mm, it is. Can you believe how long ago that feels?”

They sat in silence as they reminisced over the years they’d spent together before Koutarou glanced down at Keiji’s profile. He nudged his cheek with his nose. “Whatcha thinking about? You look sad.”

“Hm,” Keiji hummed, once again reveling in the warmth that Koutarou carried with him. “I guess I am sad. I’m sad that you’re all leaving, and that this won’t get to happen again. Nothing’s going to be the same without you here.”

“But nothing will really change! We still live together, and I’m working in town, so I’ll come visit for lunches sometimes, and—!”

“Koutarou,” Keiji murmured, effectively quieting the man with a brush of their lips. “I’m sad, but I’m also the happiest I’ve ever been. I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you for everything you’ve done for me. Giving me a newfound sense of purpose, reminding me that it’s okay to have fun, introducing me to so many new people and things...”

“You don’t have to thank me, love,” Koutarou pressed a fleeting kiss to Keiji’s temple, a yawn evident in his voice as the day began to wear on him. He tightened his grip on Keiji’s waist, and buried his face into the younger man’s neck as he mumbled tiredly, “You belong here.”

Keiji let that sit with him, the simple phrase putting into motion the realization that he _did_ belong here. At this school, amongst these people, and in Koutarou’s arms. And he wouldn’t want to belong anywhere else.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

**#??: ??????**

He was finally done. Keiji had walked across the stage, stood on the platform, and accepted his diploma. He now held in his hands a ticket to jobs, physical proof that he’d withstood all the difficulties and obstacles over the course of four years and he made it out the other side. He’d graduated, and Keiji couldn’t be happier. At least, he’d be a little happier if he could find Koutarou amidst the crowd.

He spent over an hour looking, and it wasn’t until he decided to check the parking lot that Keiji realized their car was gone. Koutarou had taken the car and left Keiji at the university, and he was at a loss. Was the man upset? Did he forget that Keiji needed a ride home? He knew Koutarou was forgetful, but this would be a new low for him. And seeing that Keiji’s belongings were in said car, he spent the remainder of another hour waiting for a bus to take him back to their shared apartment.

“Koutarou?” Keiji called as he knocked on the door to the apartment. He didn’t hear movement, but was lucky enough that when he tried the knob it was unlocked. “Kou, you left me at the school, what the—?”

The question died on his lips as the glow of the apartment met him. All the lights were off, but there were dozens of candles placed on every flat surface, illuminating all their belongings. Shadows danced on the walls as Keiji walked further inside, glancing into the kitchen before his eyes landed on the figure in the living room. Koutarou was fidgeting, adjusting his weight from one foot to the other, as he stood and stared at Keiji, mouth agape. Koutarou was yet another victim of Keiji’s anxious tick, as he was fiddling with his fingers as he waited for Keiji to speak first.

“Koutarou, if you wanted to do something romantic, couldn’t you have at least driven me home first?” Keiji spoke softly, not even a hint of anger behind his words as Koutarou smiled bashfully.

“I forgot that you left the stuff in the car, I’m sorry babe. I just... I had to come home and set up. I wanna do another thing on my bucket list today.” Koutarou cleared his throat and shifted his eyes anxiously, and Keiji steeled himself.

“Ooh,” Keiji whistled lowly, scratching at his arm. “It must be a doozy if you’re going to these lengths to convince me to help you.”

“Actually, Keiji... I don’t need your help with this one. This is one that I gotta do by myself.”

Keiji didn’t have time to feel hurt when Koutarou was quick to drop to one knee. “Kou... What are you doing?”

“Keiji, this may be cliché to say, but you’ve made me so incredibly happy these past few years. You just... You amaze me. Everything you do and everything you are is just incredible, and every day I wake up with you in my arms is the happiest day of my life. I’m so lucky that I was a dumbass and jumped in the fountain because it led me to you.”

Tears pricked at Keiji’s eyes as Koutarou took both of his hands in his own, and he could feel his legs start to give out.

“Keiji, I love you with everything that I have in me. Will you continue to make me the luckiest man alive, and... Ahem,” Koutarou cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion. Very quickly, he dug inside his pockets, briefly letting go of Keiji’s hands to do so, before thrusting a piece of paper into his hands.

Shaking, Keiji opened the familiar piece of paper, smiling fondly as he saw each of the bucket list items crossed off. That is, until he got to the bottom of the page.

_Number 20: Ask the love of my life to marry me._

Tears fell freely down Keiji’s cheeks, and as soon as he moved the paper Koutarou was grasping his hands again, holding up a simple silver ring.

“Yes, Koutarou,” Keiji sobbed, throwing himself into the man’s arms and kissing him passionately. Everything that he was feeling and everything he wanted to say but couldn’t was poured into the kiss.

And when they moved into their new home, the first decoration they placed was the bucket list, framed in all its glory. It was, after all, the reason why they were together. Now they had a new one that they created together, with the many things they wanted to do as a married couple. And they were happy.

**Author's Note:**

> My [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bokuakabeam)


End file.
